Carl Metzgar

Back strains and sprains are some of the most difficult occupational injuries to deal with once they have developed. The same injuries off the job are no easier, and they hurt just as much. However, it has been noted that self-employed people return to work sooner than employees in large organizations for the same kind of injuries.

What's the difference?

A strain is an overstretching or overexertion of some part of the musculature. Part of the definition, perhaps part of the cause, is to overexercise: to use to an extreme and harmful degree. Muscles hurt after a strain.

A sprain is a joint injury in which some of the fibers of a supporting ligament are ruptured, but the continuity of the ligament remains intact.

Safety tip

From the definitions, it is obvious that different tissues are affected. There is pain in either or both cases.

Size of the problem

The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA), as part of its statistical reporting, lists body parts and how they are injured. The following chart is developed from its data.

It is clear that back sprains and strains are by far the most frequent kinds of back injuries.

Not invented here

Back strains and sprains in 2005

It has been reported repeatedly that back-strain cases are expensive in dollars and time away from work. That means that reducing the risks of back strains and sprains is good human and business practice. Information on prevention is readily available. As always, the will to implement and follow up is the challenge.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has an insightful publication called Ergonomic Guidelines for Manual Materials Handling.

Despite the high quality of this 65-page book and its extensive helpful pictures, it will be found completely unacceptable and irrelevant to the mining community. There isn't one picture of a 50- or 100-ton truck or 12-yd. loader.

There are conveyor pictures, which are marginally relevant, but there is no stone or sand on them, which makes them superfluous to mining. There are comments about loads fit for humans, but that information is pointless because our guys can move things without help, mechanical or human. "They do it all the time nobody gets hurt."

If that weren't bad enough, then the publication about repetitive strain injuries from the English Trades Union Congress, Health and Safety, is worse. This is suspect since it comes from foreign unions, no less. Since I didn't think of it, it can't possibly apply to my plant. "It's funny how goofy reality gets in the way of tidy scenarios." (Winston-Salem, N.C., sports writer).

Ergonomics

Early ergonomics is ridiculously simple. Look at a job and figure out what human force is applied. Count the repetitions and determine what resources can be mustered to reduce the human effort and its application. Take the work out of the job!

After the easy 85 percent of the jobs are taken care of, hire a consultant to apply the more sophisticated techniques to the really difficult jobs. That still leaves the back cases that are the result of "denied conflict" between management and labor. That is a separate subject. .

Carl R. Metzgar, CSP, has more than 30 years of safety and health experience in the pit and quarry industries. He was formerly a safety and health director for Lone Star Industries, and Mideast Division safety director for Vulcan Materials.

He currently offers consulting services with a specialization in program evaluation, training, compliance and loss control. Based in Winston-Salem, N.C., he can be reached at 336-766-8264; Fax: 336-766-1218; E-mail: cmetz46840@aol.com
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